Bruce William Crystal

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Roxbury Hyde Crystal, their three children – Charlotte Crystal (David Mattern), Kevin Crystal and Stacy Crystal -- and their six grandchildren.

Dr. Crystal was predeceased by his only sibling, his brother, Richard Oliver Crystal. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews.

Dr. Crystal was born on Oct. 26, 1929, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the late Helen Haber Crystal and Reuben Robert Crystal. He grew up in Brooklyn, attending Erasmus High School, and after graduation, signed up with the U.S. Air Force Reserves. The Air Force called him to active service in the Korean War, where he worked as an ambulance driver for a hospital unit in Japan. Returning to the United States after the war, he tapped the G.I. Bill to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his bachelor of science degree followed by a doctor of optometry degree.

After finishing graduate school in 1956, he and his wife moved to Longmont, where they have lived ever since.

A lifelong outdoorsman, Dr. Crystal collected butterflies as a child in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and as an adult, enjoyed fishing and hunting, particularly, at Swedes Lake and along Colorado rivers. He retired from optometry at age 48, and with his wife launched a 41-foot Morgan sailboat, the Aspen Leaf, in 1970. Moored in the British Virgin Islands, the boat afforded the couple many happy years of travel together. Dr. Crystal became an avid seashell collector, corresponding with fellow shell collectors from around the world, and building a prized seashell collection. One of his proudest accomplishments was completing a month-long sail with a friend from San Diego, Calif., to Tahiti in 1979.

In retirement, Dr. Crystal and his wife traveled extensively, participating in numerous Elderhostel trips, including several bike hikes in Europe in their 70s. Dr. Crystal also enjoyed woodworking, and built many fine pieces for his children and grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m., on Monday, Aug. 1, at the Howe Mortuary, 439 Coffman St., in Longmont. Burial with military honors will take place at a later date at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. Memorial gifts are suggested to the Conchologists of America scholarship fund for seashell research.